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Bill Williamson
|nationality = |species = Sasquatch |birth = |occupation = , politician, |political office = |spouse = Louise |children = Nicole |political party = }}Bill Williamson (born c. 1934) was a Democratic politician who served as the governor of Jefferson in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was the state's second sasquatch governor. Before entering politics, Williamson had been a lawyer and real estate broker.Thirty Days Later: Steaming Forward: 30 Adventures in Time, loc. 2272, ebook. He began his political career when he was elected to the Jefferson State Senate, serving until the early 1970s, when he attained the governor's mansion. He was married to another sasquatch, Louise, and had a daughter, Nicole. During his time as governor, Williamson did his best to insure that the state of Jefferson stayed open and diverse. 1979 Visit with the Yeti Lama In August 1979, Williamson was able to arrange a visit from the Yeti Lama of Tibet in Eureka. The visit was a largely symbolic one: one consequence of Richard Nixon's visit to China was that the State Department perceived the Yeti Lama as a mere tourist.Ibid., loc. 450. While the national press gave the meeting scant attention, plenty of reporters from around Jefferson did cover the meeting. Williamson was careful to demonstrate how inclusive Jefferson was, bringing himself, his publicist, Barbara Rasmussen, the Yeti Lama, his retinue, and the Japanese crew of the ship the Yeti Lama traveled on all together for the photo op.Ibid., loc. 487. Meeting with Nobuo Fujita The following month, Williamson and Rasmussen went to Port Orford to meet with Nobuo Fujita, the owner of a successful local Datsun dealership. Fujita had also been a pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, and had launched the only bombing on the mainland U.S., specifically two attacks, one on Port Orford on September 9, 1942 and the other in Siskiyou National Forest on September 29.Ibid., Loc. 2323-2335. Williamson used the meeting again to emphasize the diversity of Jefferson, a place where people got along regardless of race and size, and where people who'd once been at war could live together in peace.Ibid., Loc. 2335-2361. 1980 Intervention in the Ashland Shakespeare Festival In the Spring of 1980, Williamson involved himself in the Ashland Shakespeare Festival after his daughter, Nicole, was cast as Caliban in The Tempest. Nicole was quite talented, and was more than capable of playing Miranda. However, the director of the play, Reggie Pesky, a Pennsylvanian, was excited by the prospect of having a Caliban that didn't require make-up. While Williamson initially tried to get Pesky to reconsider as a concerned father, he also made use of his status as Governor of Jefferson to try to convince to consider the broader issues of typecasting. He even pointed out that at least one of his ancestors, a great-great grandmother, was supposed to be a little person. Pesky was insulted by this approach. Williamson then went to Jerry Turner, the producing director of the Ashland Shakespeare Festival. Turner also had issues with Pesky's decision to cast Nicole as Caliban, but was hesitant to override a visiting director, for fear of driving off future directors. However, when Williamson told Turner about Pesky's general excitement about having a Caliban that didn't need make-up, Turner realized just how badly that would play in Ashland and in the whole state of Jefferson. To help persuade Turner, Williamson offered to find state money to help further fund the festival. After Turner secured Williamson's promise that there would be no strings attached, he agreed. Nicole played Miranda brilliantly. Pesky privately conceded so to Williamson, then told Williamson, "Fuck you." A few days later, Williamson announced that the Legislature had authorized a new annual grant of $75,000 a year to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival. The amount was half of what Williamson had asked for, and still quite a bit less than he'd actually expected to get. During the press conference, Williamson downplayed Nicole's role in the whole matter.See, e.g., http://www.tor.com/2016/06/15/typecasting/ Mediation Between the Merfolk and the Karuk Rediscovery of the Speartooth Salmon 1981 References Category:Sasquatches Category:State Legislators of the United States